What Can You Afford?
Work backwards from your income, deposit and existing debts to the price you can realistically afford, using the debt-to-income limits lenders apply.
💼 Are you a real estate agent or broker? Send this calculator to your buyers on your own branded listing page — every enquiry comes straight to your WhatsApp. Create free agent page →Most buyers start from a price and hope it works. Lenders start from your income, so this does too: it applies a debt-to-income ceiling, subtracts what you already owe each month, and turns what is left into a loan and then a price.
The ceiling is an input rather than a fixed rule, because it varies by country and lender — commonly somewhere between 30% and 45% of gross income including existing debts.
How it works
Take the share of gross income a lender will allow for all debt, subtract what you already repay each month, and the remainder is what can service a mortgage. Reverse the repayment formula on that figure to get the loan, then add your deposit to get a price.
Worked example
On 6,000 a month with 400 of existing repayments and a 36% ceiling: 2,160 is allowed for all debt, leaving 1,760 for a mortgage. At 6.5% over 25 years that supports a loan of roughly 260,000; with a 60,000 deposit, a price near 320,000.
Why the honest number is lower
This is the maximum a lender may permit, not the amount you should borrow. It ignores the cost of actually owning the place — tax, insurance, maintenance, service charges — and it assumes your income is stable. Buying at the ceiling is how people end up unable to absorb a rate rise.
Turn a calculation into an enquiry
Buyers who run these numbers are ready to talk. Give every listing its own page with your photo, phone and WhatsApp on it — leads land straight on your phone.
Create your free property pageFrequently asked questions
Is the deposit the only cash I need?
No. Purchase taxes, legal fees, survey, moving and any immediate work are on top, and in some markets they add several per cent of the price.
What ratio should I use?
If you do not know your market’s convention, 36% is a reasonable starting point. Ask a lender or broker for the figure they actually apply.
Does a bigger deposit increase what I can afford?
Directly, and often twice over — it adds to the price and can unlock a lower rate, which raises the loan the same repayment supports.